VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs MSCI Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

CME Group Inc.

CME · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
81/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into CME Group Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CME analysis

MSCI Inc.

MSCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$43.7B
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
76/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into MSCI Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSCI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 76 / 100 for MSCI Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); MSCI Inc. has 4 segments (55.9% in Index).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; MSCI Inc. has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

CME Group Inc.

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Market

Exchange-traded derivatives (futures and options) trading and central counterparty clearing; plus electronic cash markets matching (U.S. Treasuries/repo, spot FX) tied to CME platforms

Geography

Global (core U.S. footprint with international participation)

Customer

Institutional and professional traders; commercial hedgers; banks; broker-dealers; futures commission merchants (FCMs); asset managers; proprietary trading firms; governments and central banks

Role

Market operator (exchange/venue) + central counterparty clearing provider

Revenue share

81.4%

MSCI Inc.

Index

Market

Investment indexes and index licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and asset managers

Role

Index provider / benchmark administrator

Revenue share

55.9%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
MSCI Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
MSCI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$43.7B
Sector
Financials
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Index
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-27% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
81 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardSwitching Costs General

CME Group Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointDistribution Control

MSCI Inc. strengths

Compliance Advantage

Segment mix

CME Group Inc. segments

Full profile >

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Oligopoly

81.4%

Market Data and Information Services

Monopoly

11.6%

Access, Connectivity and Other Exchange Services

Monopoly

7%

MSCI Inc. segments

Full profile >

Index

Oligopoly

55.9%

Analytics

Oligopoly

23.6%

Sustainability and Climate

Competitive

11.4%

Private Assets

Competitive

9%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.